Among the bleary eyes in the press area at Twickenham after the Varsity Match there was one cool face.

James Shanahan, the Cambridge University coach who had helped engineer the end of a run of the six losses, two of which he was head coach for, looked as though he had just enjoyed a leisurely afternoon watching some rugby.

A naturally relaxed character, he said before the match that their form did not really make a difference, but insisted they were favourites.

And now his team are finally Varsity winners following a 23-18 victory, and he was right, with all respect to Durham and Coventry, no one will really remember those matches.

After the match, Shanahan (pictured below) was standing with a diary in one hand and his Cambridge hoody in the other as an elated Daniel Dass and Charlie Amesbury stood with the trophy talking to reporters at one side, and a devastated Basil Strang, Oxford’s fly-half, was on the other.

And he wants more.

He said: “My contract is up but I’m keen to stay on. I love it, it’s such a different experience and so humbling.

“It’s 135 years old and for me to be a part of it is really special, hopefully I can be involved for another couple of years.”

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An early start in the Lent term this year, improved fitness regimes and more a focus on the under-20s squad has helped a relatively inexperienced team with only six returning Blues end Cambridge’s Varsity losing streak.

The change in mentality was epitomised by the calmness of Shanahan’s captain Dass.

He said: “Daniel’s relaxed demeanour helps us. I’m a fairly relaxed person too and in the Varsity you’re under so much pressure but players make better decisions when their calm. Last year we were a bit frantic.

“Everything started massively in January. We worked hard with James Owen (a fitness coach) to make sure the boys were better prepared after their break and the boys worked hard on their own.

“We definitely built on last year from the way that we played and a credit to the old Blues who stuck around and played in that Lent term to help the new ones who came through really develop. It’s been a year of processes.

“Previously it’s all been based on one term and no one really cared what happened after that but that’s not good enough we have to focus for a year.

“We can enjoy the win and then come back in January and the focus needs to be coming back next year.”